Ceiling mounted lighting fixtures are well known in the art and are used in a variety of applications, including for use in commercial, industrial and other institutional settings. Such lighting fixtures present certain challenges in installation and servicing of the fixture. Because the light fixture is ceiling mounted, typically an installer must stand on a ladder to access the fixture. Fixtures of this type tend to be large and heavy which can make for difficulty in mounting overhead. Further, during installation or when the fixture needs servicing, the fixture may be left in a vulnerable and unstable position. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,368,506 to Rapp discloses an Apparatus for Mounting a Luminaire to a Ceiling. Rapp states it is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus for mounting the luminaire to the ceiling which requires only one person to position the luminaire and make the electrical connection and secure the luminaire to the ceiling. However, the Rapp device is relatively complex due to the rigid nature of the bracket on which the fixture is mounted. Rapp requires a series of angular movements to secure the ceiling fixture to the bracket which further complicates the already challenging process of installing ceiling mounted fixtures.
Although such conventional mounting assemblies provide a satisfactory mounting once the fixture is installed and in the final mounting position, the installation process can be difficult. In view of the foregoing disadvantages seen in known ceiling mounted fixture assemblies, it would be desirable to provide a mounting assembly that simplifies the steps involved in installation and maintenance. Further, there is a need for a mounting assembly providing more stability to the fixture during installation and servicing.